21-25 April 2003 Public FEMA Hi Ed Project Activity Report



21-25 April 2003 Public FEMA Hi Ed Project Activity Report

(1) California State University, Fullerton -- Certificate in Disaster Preparedness and Recovery Management:

April 21, 2003 -- Talked with Dr. Sandra Sutphren, Department of Political Science, who reports that the certificate has died -- main culprit diminishing student interest -- having saturated the local audience over the years she "ran out of audience."

(2) Disaster Response Operations and Management Upper Division Course Development Project:

April 23, 2003 -- Reviewed Session 12, "Evacuation," and provided review comments to course developer Dr. David McEntire of the University of North Texas. From the Scope statement for this session:

During this session, the professor explains why evacuation is needed. The class identifies behavioral patterns that are typical in most evacuations. Decision considerations are mentioned as are the processes and methods for successful evacuations. The session ends with an examination of the advantages and disadvantages of evacuation methods.

The session was forwarded to the EMI webmaster for upload to the Courses Under Development subsection of the Academic EM and Related courses section of the EM HiEd Project website.

April 24, 2003 -- Received revised Sessions 11 and 12 back from Dr. McEntire.

(3) Earthquake Hazard Management Upper Division Course Development Project:

April 23, 2003 -- Reviewed Session 1, "Introduction to Earthquake Hazard Management," and provided review comments to course developer, Dr. James Martin II of Virginia Tech. From the Course Session Objectives section:

Identify the main activities and issues associated with earthquake hazard management.

Recognize and appreciate the importance of earthquake hazard management in hazard reduction...

Describe...the high loss potential associated with earthquake disasters.

Describe the general earthquake threat in the US.

Recognize what can be achieved through successful hazard management.

(4) Emergency Management Higher Education Conference, June 4-5, 2003, EMI, Emmitsburg, MD:

April 25, 2003 -- Admissions reports that they have 76 registrations and working on several others. Limit is 100.

(5) FEMA Multi Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment Document, 1997:

April 25, 2003 -- Heard from Dianna Havner-Bryant, Crisis and Disaster Management BA Degree Program at Central Missouri State, that this document was no longer accessible from the FEMA website address that has in the past made this document available and downloadable. Called the FEMA Webmaster who found the original copy of the report at another website address. Asked the HiEd Project Assistant to establish a link from the "Select General Emergency Management References" section of the EM HiEd Project website. Would recommend that those who wish to continue using this document download it to their computer, a disk or CD ROM in order to assure continued access: FEMA. 1997. Multi Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment: A Cornerstone of the National Mitigation Strategy. Washington, DC: FEMA. Downloadable from: Though published in 1997, it still provides a very good overview of US hazards.

(6) Hazards Risk Management -- Upper Division Course Development Project:

April 21, 2003 -- Received for review from lead course developer, Senior Research Scientist Greg Shaw, George Washington University, Session 11, "Making Hazards Risk Management Work," and Session 12, "Identify the Risks: Hazards."

April 21, 2003 -- Reviewed draft Session 2, "Emergency Management: Past, Present and Future," and provided review comments to Greg Shaw, who quickly revised the session and returned it on April 23. The Scope section of this session states:

This session provides background information regarding public management, including discussions of federalism, intergovernmental relationships, and inter-organization arrangements that will set the stage for understanding public emergency management.

There are several emergency management (EM) systems in place to deal with the broad array of hazards, crises, and disasters that have affected the U.S. - most notably those dealing with natural disasters and with major industrial accidents and emergencies. Since the catastrophic terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, at all levels of government, EM systems and organizations are undergoing profound changes. Under scrutiny and revision are public sector capabilities and capacities as well as organizational and response systems.

While many systems and organizations may be in transition, there still are basic purposes, elements, and needs that must be met by public sector emergency management. The focus of this review of recent history will be on those essential elements.

April 24, 2003 -- Received from Greg Shaw for review, Session 8, "Federal Requirements for Hazards Risk Management."

(7) Madison-Area Community College, Wisconsin:

April 21, 2003 -- Received phone call from Ed Clark who noted that MACC is at the front-end of an investigation into the development of some sort of emergency management program -- most probably a certificate. Asked for points of contact at other AD-level schools and about the availability of courses. Walked him through the website.

(8) Nash Community College, NC -- Emergency Preparedness Technology Associate Degree

April 21, 2003 -- Talked with Jay Dornsief, who notes that this relatively new program (2 years old) is going well, student interest is increasing, has a mixture of fire service and emergency management practitioner students, and plans to start offering some of his courses on-line this coming Fall Semester. For further information, Jay Dornsief can be reached at: (252) 443-4011, ext. 312.

(9) New Directions in Hazard Mitigation: Breaking the Disaster Cycle -- Graduate Course Development Project:

April 23, 2003 -- Reviewed Session 5, "Insurance as Hazard Mitigation" (dealing with flood insurance), and provided review comments to the session developer, Dr. David Salvesen, and to the lead course developer, Dr. David Godschalk, both of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. From the Scope statement for this session:

The first part of the session describes the extent of losses from natural hazards, particularly flooding, and summarizes loss trends. This is followed by a review of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), including its role in mitigating natural hazards as well as the key elements of the program. Following this summary is a discussion of some of the shortcomings of the program.

The second part of the session engages the students in a role-playing exercise designed to explore some of the key issues regarding the NFIP. Students will have the opportunity to challenge the underlying philosophy of the program, explore its impacts, and suggest strategies for improvement.

The session was forwarded to the EMI webmaster for upload to the Academic EM and Related Courses section, Courses Under Development subsection of the EMI HiEd Project website.

(10) Purdue University-Calumet:

April 21, 2003 -- Received news from Dr. Michael O'Toole that two weeks ago he submitted to the Purdue Faculty Senate a proposal to approve the implementation of an Emergency Management Certificate. The requirements for the proposed certificate would be five 3-credit-hour courses:

Fundamentals of Safety

Fire Safety

Hazardous Materials

Fundamentals of Emergency Response

Emergency Management and Programming

Emergency Management Systems

Dr. O'Toole anticipates that this proposal will be approved and hopes to be able to stand-up this new program this coming Fall Semester. For additional information, Dr. O'Toole can be reached at: MO2L@calumet.purdue.edu.

(11) San Francisco Earthquake Probability -- A Disaster Waiting To Happen:

April 22, 2003 -- The San Francisco Chronicle ran an article based on a new report by a USGS-led study team on Bay Area earthquake threats, which warns that there is a "62 percent probability of a major quake with a magnitude greater than 6.7 striking the region before the year 2032." According to the Chronicle there is "a more than 80 percent likelihood that a smaller but still very damaging temblor of magnitude 6 to 6.6 will strike here during that time period..." The article quotes Many Lou Zoback, former chief of the earthquake hazards team at the USGS in Menlo Park, to the effect that "when you integrate all the estimates over the entire region, a severely damaging quake with a magnitude greater than 6 becomes a certainty." More than 100 earthquake experts from the USGS, other Federal agencies, California State government, consulting firms, industries and universities participated in this study. The article notes that maps and other information from this most recent report were to be posted on the USGS earthquake site today, but were not there when I looked in the morning.

(12) Social Dimensions of Disaster, 2nd Edition, Upper Division Course Development Project:

April, 23, 2003 -- Reviewed draft Session 6, "All-Hazards Emergency Management," and provided review comments to course developer, Dr. Thomas Drabek of the University of Denver. From the Scope statement for this session:

This session provides an overview of the historical patterns of disaster and civil defense policy that culminated in all-hazards emergency management. Introduction to basic principles of preparedness, strategies and tactics, and qualities that characterize effective emergency managers are articulated. Emergency management roles are summarized for local, state and federal agencies and private-sector organizations."

The session was forwarded to the EMI webmaster to upload to the draft course material for this course found on the EM HiEd Project within the "Academic Emergency Management and Related Courses" section, "Courses Under Development" subsection

(13) Social Vulnerability Approach to Disasters Upper Division Course Development Project:

April 25, 2003 -- Heard from lead course developer, Dr. Elaine Enarson, Metropolitan State University, Denver, that all the course development team members "are working full steam ahead on the final revisions" based on our day-long course review comments meeting here on March 28th. She has asked for their final sessions by May 1st so that she can consolidate and proof read. Hopes to be able to submit the final course on May 5th. If all goes well this course (approximately 400 pages) should be uploaded and accessible from the EM HiEd Project website by the end of May.

(14) University of Hawaii, Manoa:

April 21, 2003 -- Received from Dr. Brien Hallett, syllabus of "Seminar in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance," taught last Fall Semester -- to add to the Syllabi Compilation on the EM HiEd Project Website. Forwarded to the EMI Webmaster for upload.

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